Oral care system

ABSTRACT

An oral care system including an elongated member having tooth cleaning elements and a store of oral care material. In one aspect, the invention can be a toothbrush comprising a handle; a through-slot extending through the handle; an elongated member rotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about a rotational axis, the elongated member comprising: a toothbrush head located on a first side of the rotational axis; and a dispenser comprising a store of oral care material located on a second side of the rotational axis; a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the toothbrush head; the elongated member rotatable about the rotational axis between: (1) a first state in which the toothbrush head protrudes from the handle while the dispenser is nested within the through-slot; and (2) a second state in which the dispenser protrudes from the housing while the toothbrush head is nested within the through-slot.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an oral care system, andspecifically to an oral care system including a toothbrush and at leastone dispenser that are coupled to a housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oral care products or agents are applied, in different ways. Forexample, a common technique used the tooth whitening products is to castan impression of a person's teeth and provide a tray of the shape ofthis impression. While tray-based systems are suitable, many people donot use them due to the fact that they tend to be uncomfortable and/orawkward. Moreover, in order to use a whitening tray, a user must keepthe tray and the required components at hand. This not only requiresextra storage space in already cramped bathroom cabinets but alsorequires that the user remember to use the whitening system.Furthermore, these tray-based systems are not conveniently portable fortransport and/or travel.

In addition to difficulties in applying some oral care products, storageis sometimes cumbersome and inconvenient for the user. The oral careproduct must typically be stored separately from oral care toothcleaning implements such as a toothbrush since the oral care productpackage and toothbrush heretofore are generally treated as separate anddistinct parts of an oral care regimen. A more portable, compact andconvenient way to store oral care products, and to dispense and applythose oral care products to oral surfaces is desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide art efficient, compact, andportable oral care system that combines an oral care implement such as atoothbrush with an oral care product or agent dispenser in a highlyportable housing. Advantageously, such embodiments are especially suitedfor easy transport and/or travel.

In one embodiment, the invention can be an oral care system comprising:a housing comprising a first side surface and a second side surfaceopposite the first side surface; a through-slot extending, through thehousing from the first side surface to the second side surface andhaving an open top end; an elongated member rotatably coupled to thehousing for rotation about a rotational axis, the elongated membercomprising a first portion located on a first side of the rotationalaxis and a second portion located on a second side of the rotationalaxis; a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the firstportion of the elongated member; a dispensing orifice in the secondportion of the elongated member through which an oral care materialstored in the elongated member can be dispensed; and the elongatedmember rotatable about the rotational axis between: (1) a first state inwhich the first portion of the elongated member protrudes from thehousing while the second portion of the elongated member is nestedwithin the through-slot; and (2) a second state in which the secondportion of the elongated member protrudes from the housing while thefirst portion of the elongated member is nested within the through-slot.

In another embodiment, the invention can be a toothbrush comprising: ahandle; a through-slot extending through the handle; an elongated memberrotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about a rotational axis;the elongated member comprising: a toothbrush head located on a firstside of the rotational axis; and a dispenser comprising; a store of oralcare material located on a second side of the rotational axis; aplurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the toothbrush head;the elongated member rotatable about the rotational axis between: (1) afirst state in which the toothbrush head protrudes from the handle whilethe dispenser is nested within the through-slot; and (2) a second statein which the dispenser protrudes from the housing while the toothbrushhead is nested within the through-slot.

In yet, another embodiment, the invention can be an oral care systemcomprising: a housing; a member rotatably coupled to the housing forrotation about a rotational axis; a plurality of tooth cleaning elementsextending from the member; a dispensing orifice in the member throughwhich an oral care material stored in the elongated member can bedispensed; and the elongated member rotatable about the rotational axis,the member is an integral construction.

In still another embodiment, the invention can be an oral care systemcomprising: a housing comprising a first side surface and a second sidesurface opposite the first side surface; a through-slot extendingthrough the housing from the first side surface to the second sidesurface and having an open top end; a member rotatably coupled to thehousing for rotation about a rotational axis, the member comprising afirst portion located on a first side of the rotational axis, a secondportion located on a second side of the rotational axis, and a thirdportion located on a third side of the rotational axis; a plurality oftooth cleaning elements extending from the first portion of theelongated member; a first dispensing orifice in the second portion ofthe elongated member through which a first oral care material stored inthe second portion can be dispensed; and a second dispensing orifice inthe third portion of the elongated member through which a second oralcare material stored in the third portion can be dispensed; and themember rotatable about the rotational axis between: (1) a first state inwhich the first portion protrudes from the open top end; (2) a secondstate in which the second portion protrudes from the open top end; and(3) a third state in which the third portion protrudes from the open topend.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating: the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a front view of an oral care system according to oneembodiment of the present invention including an elongated memberrotatably coupled to a housing and having a first portion of theelongated member protrude from the housing, wherein the arrows indicatethe direction of rotation of the elongated member;

FIG. 1B is a front view of the oral care system of FIG. 1A wherein theelongated member has been rotated so that a second portion of theelongated member protrudes from the housing;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the oral care system taken alongline II-II of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is a close-up view of area III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention,illustrating a mechanism for locking the elongated member in place whenthe first portion of the elongated member protrudes from the housing;and

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB of FIG. 1B inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention,illustrating a mechanism for locking the elongated member in place whenthe second portion of the elongated member protrudes from the housing.

FIG. 5A is a front view of an oral care system according to anotherembodiment of the present invention wherein the elongated membercomprises a first portion configured as a toothbrush, a second portionconfigured as a first dispenser, and a third portion configured as asecond dispenser, and wherein the elongated member is in a first state;

FIG. 5B is a front view of the oral care system of FIG. 5A wherein theelongated member has been rotated to a second state; and

FIG. 5C is a front view of the oral care system of FIG. 5A wherein theelongated member has been rotated to a third state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles ofthe present invention is intended to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entirewritten description. In the description of embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merelyintended for convenience of description and is not intended in any wayto limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as“lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,”“down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g.,“horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc) should be construed torefer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawingunder discussion. These relative terms are for convenience ofdescription only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed oroperated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated assuch. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,”“interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structuresinc secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectlythrough intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigidattachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated byreference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the inventionexpressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodimentsillustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that mayexist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of theinvention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be describedwith respect to one or more possible oral care or treatment systems.Embodiments of the oral care system include a dispenser that mayinclude, without limitation, one or more of the following oral carefluids: tooth whitening, antibacterial, enamel protection,anti-sensitivity, anti-inflammatory, anti-attachment, fluoride, tartarcontrol/protection, flavorant, sensate, colorant and others. However,other embodiments of the present invention may be used to store anddispense any suitable type of oral care fluid and the invention isexpressly not limited to any particular oral care system or fluid alone.A more detailed, although still non-exhaustive, listing of possible oralcare materials that may be stored in the dispenser of the presentinvention and utilized with the oral care system will be provided below.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B concurrently, an oral care system 100 isillustrated according to one embodiment of the present invention. Theoral Care system 100 is a compact readily portable self-containeduser-friendly system that comprises all of the necessary components andchemistries for a user to perform a desired oral care treatment routine.As will be described in greater detail below, the oral care system 100in one exemplary embodiment generally takes the form of a housing havinga toothbrush and a dispenser that are pivotably or rotatably coupledthereto. The oral care system 100 is portable for travel, easy to use,and reduces the amount of required storage space. Furthermore, since thetoothbrush and dispenser are housed together, the user is less likely tomisplace the dispenser and ill be more inclined to maintain the oraltreatment routine with the dispenser since brushing will remind the userto simply detach and apply the contents of the dispenser.

The oral care system 100 generally comprises a housing 110 and anelongated member 120 rotatably coupled to the housing 110. Specifically,the elongated member 120 is rotatably coupled to the housing 110 forrotation about a rotational axis A-A. The elongated member 120 comprisesa first portion 121 located on a first side of the rotational axis A-Aand a second portion 122 located on a second side of the rotational axisA-A. In the exemplified embodiment, the second side of the rotationalaxis A-A at which the second portion 122 is located is opposite thefirst side of the rotational axis A-A at which the first portion 121.Thus, the first and second portions 121, 122 extend from the rotationalaxis A-A at 180° (angular) apart from one another, thereby forming asubstantially linear structure. In other embodiments, the first andsecond portions 121, 122 extend from the rotational axis A-A at otherangular offsets, such as less than 180°, including 90° or 120° apart. Insuch embodiments, the second side of the rotational axis A-A at whichthe second portion 122 is located is not opposite from the first side ofthe rotational axis A-A at which the first portion 121. In still anotherembodiment (see e.g., FIG. 5 and related discussion below), theelongated member 120 may comprise more than two portions extending fromthe rotational axis A-A.

The elongated member 120 comprises various components that assist a userin oral care as will be discussed in detail below. The housing 110provides a mechanism by which the user can hold and manipulate the oralcare system 100 during use. The housing 110 can take on various shapes,sizes and configurations other than those illustrated to enhance thecomfort and gripability of the housing 110 to a user during use of theoral care system 100.

The first and second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 areintegrally connected so that rotation of one of the first or secondportions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 about the rotational axisA-A results in corresponding rotation of the other one of the first orsecond portions 121, 122 of the elongated, member 120 about therotational axis A-A. In certain embodiments, the elongated member 120may be formed as a one-piece structure that includes both the first andsecond portions 121, 122. However, in other embodiments the first andsecond portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 can be separatelyformed and connected at a later stage in the manufacturing process.Regardless of the formation of the elongated member, the first andsecond portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 are integrallyconnected together and rotate together.

As will be discussed in more detail below, in the oral care system 100one of the first or second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120is always protruding from the housing 110 when the other one of thefirst or second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 isretained within the housing 110. This is due to the arrangement wherebythe first and second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 areoriented 180° apart from one another in the exemplified embodiment. Forexample, in FIG. 1A the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120 isprotruding from the housing 110 while the second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 is contained within the housing 110. Rotation ofthe elongated member 120 one-hundred eighty degrees) (180°) about therotational axis A-A in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1Aresults in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1B wherein the secondportion 122 of the elongated member 120 is protruding from the housing110 while the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120 is containedwithin the housing 110. Thus, each of the first and second portions 121,122 of the elongated member are applied to a user's oral cavityseparately to achieve separate oral care benefits. Furthermore, incertain embodiments each of the first and second portions 121, 122 ofthe elongated member can be applied to a user's oral cavity sequentiallyso that a combined oral care benefit can be achieved. It should also beappreciated that the elongated member 120 may alternatively oradditionally rotate in an opposite rotational direction to that depictedby the arrows in FIG. 1A.

In certain embodiments, the housing 110 is formed of a rigid plasticmaterial, such as for example without limitation polymers and copolymersof ethylene, propylene, butadiene vinyl compounds and polyesters such aspolyethylene terephthalate. Furthermore, in certain embodiments theelongated member 120 is also formed of one of the rigid plasticmaterials noted above. However, the invention is not to be so limited inall embodiments and in certain other embodiments the housing 110 and/orthe elongated member 120 can be formed of other materials. Furthermore,in some embodiments the housing 110 and portions of the elongated member120 may be overmolded with a soft, resilient material, such as athermoplastic elastomer, to provide comfort to a user when gripping thehousing 110 during use of the oral care system 100 to clean and/orsanitize a user's oral cavity.

When the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120 protrudes fromthe housing 110 as illustrated in FIG. 1A, the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120 forms a toothbrush device that can be used by auser to brush and/or scrub his or her teeth. In this state, the firstportion 121 of the elongated member forms a neck 126 and a head 127 ofthe toothbrush device while the housing 110 forms a handle of thetoothbrush device. The head 127 of the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120 has a first surface 123 and an opposing secondsurface 124. A plurality of tooth cleaning elements 125 extend from thefirst surface 123 of the head 127 of the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120. In the exemplified embodiment, the first portion121 of the elongated member 120 has a terminal end 128, and theplurality of tooth cleaning elements 125 are located adjacent to theterminal end 128 of the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120.

The exact structure, pattern, orientation and material of the toothcleaning elements 125 is not to be limiting of the present inventionunless so specified in the claims. As used herein, the term “toothcleaning elements” is used in a generic sense to refer to any structurethat can be used to clean, polish or wipe the teeth and/or soft oraltissue (e.g. tongue, cheek, gums, etc.) through relative surfacecontact. Common examples of “tooth cleaning elements” include, withoutlimitation, bristle tufts, filament bristles, fiber bristles, nylonbristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, elastomeric protrusions,flexible polymer protrusions, combinations thereof and/or structurescontaining such materials or combinations. Suitable elastomericmaterials include any biocompatible resilient material suitable for usesin an oral hygiene apparatus. To provide optimum comfort as well ascleaning benefits, the elastomeric material of the tooth or soft tissueengaging elements has a hardness property in the range of A8 to A25Shore hardness. One suitable elastomeric material isstyrene-ethylenelbutylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) manufactured byGLS Corporation. Nevertheless, SEBS material from other manufacturers orother materials within and outside the noted hardness range could beused.

The tooth cleaning elements 125 of the present invention can beconnected to the head 127 of the first portion 121 of the elongatedmember 120 in any manner known in the art. For example, staples/anchors,in-mold tufting (IMT) or anchor free tufting (AFT) could be used tomount the cleaning elements/tooth engaging elements. In AFT, a plate ormembrane is secured to the brush head such as by ultrasonic welding. Thebristles extend through the plate or membrane. The free ends of thebristles on one side of the plate or membrane perform the cleaningfunction. The ends of the bristles on the other side of the plate ormembrane are melted together by heat to be anchored in place. Anysuitable form of cleaning elements may be used in the broad practice ofthis invention. Alternatively, the bristles could be mounted to tuftblocks or sections by extending through suitable openings in the tuftblocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted within or below thetuft block.

In certain embodiments, the head 127 of the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120 may also include a soft tissue cleanser coupled toor positioned on its second surface 124. An example of a suitable softtissue cleanser that may be used with the present invention andpositioned on the second surface 124 of the head 127 of the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,143,462, issued Dec. 5, 2006 to the assignee of the presentapplication, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.In certain other embodiments, the soft tissue cleanser may includeprotuberances, which can take the form of elongated ridges, nubs, orcombinations thereof. Of course, the invention is not to be so limitedand in certain embodiments the head 127 of the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120 may not include any soft tissue cleanser.

Referring to FIGS. 1B and 2 concurrently, the oral care system 100 willbe further described. An oral care material 140 is stored in the secondportion 122 of the elongated member 120. The second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 comprises a terminal end 131. In the exemplifiedembodiment, a dispensing orifice 132 is formed into the terminal end 131of the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120. The dispensingorifice 132 provides an opening in the second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 through which the oral care material 140 containedwithin the second portion 122 of the elongated member can be dispensed.

In the exemplified embodiment, the second portion 122 of the elongatedmember 120 forms a dispenser 130 for containing a store of the oral carematerial 140. The dispenser 130 is an elongated structure having aninner surface 141 that defines a hollow interior cavity 142 for storingthe oral care material 140 therein. In certain embodiments, thedispenser 130 may be refillable so that a user can refill the oral carematerial 140 into the dispenser 130 after depletion thereof. However, incertain other embodiments upon depletion of the oral care material 140within the dispenser 130, the entire oral care system 100 will bereplaced. Thus, the amount of the oral care material 140 may beindicative of the life-cycle of the tooth cleaning elements 125 the oralcare material 140 may last for three months when used regularly, whichis the time period recommended for replacement of a toothbrush).

The dispenser 130 comprises an elongated body portion 133 and anapplicator 134. In certain embodiments, the elongated body portion 133may be formed of a compressible material so that the oral care material140 contained therein can be dispensed. Of course, the invention is notto be so limited and other techniques for dispensing the oral carematerial 130 from the dispenser 130 can be used, such as for example athreaded screw coupled to an elevator platform, a mechanical electricalor electromechanical pump, or the like.

In the exemplified embodiment, the dispensing orifice 132 is formed intothe applicator 134 of the dispenser 130. In certain embodiments, theapplicator 134 may be formed of an elastomeric material to providecomfort when applying the oral care material directly onto a user'steeth and/or oral surfaces from the dispenser 130. Specifically, whendispensing the oral care material 140 directly onto a tooth, theapplicator 134 can be made to contact the tooth directly to ensure thatthe oral care material 140 is adequately and sufficiently applied ontothe tooth surface. Forming the applicator 134 out of an elastomericmaterial makes this direct dispensing process more comfortable for auser. However, the invention is not to be so limited and in certainother embodiments the applicator 134 may be formed of other materials,including bristles, a porous or sponge material, or a fibrillatedmaterial. Furthermore, in still other embodiments the applicator 134 maybe omitted and the dispensing orifice 132 can be formed directly intothe dispenser 130 for dispensing the oral care material 140 containedtherein.

The elongated member 120 further comprises a cap 139 detachably coupledto the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120. The cap 139 isdetachably coupled to the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120to enclose the dispensing orifice 132 and prevent accidental dispensingof the oral care material 140 from the second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 from occurring. In certain embodiments, the cap 139may include a sealing member that protrudes into the dispensing orifice132 to perform the seal. In other embodiments, the cap 139 merely coversa portion of or the entirety of the applicator 134 to prevent leakage ofthe oral care material 140 stored therein. Furthermore, in someembodiments a second cap may be provided to be detachably coupled to thefirst portion 121 of the elongated member 120 so as to provideprotection to the tooth cleaning elements 125 extending therefrom.

When the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 protrudes fromthe housing 110 as illustrated in FIG. 1B, the housing 110 forms ahandle for applying the oral care material contained within the secondportion 122 of the elongated member 120. Thus, the housing 110 is usedas the handle both when the first portion 121 of the elongated member120 is used to clean a user's teeth and/or oral cavity and when thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member is used to apply the oralcare material 140 onto a user's teeth and/or oral cavity. As such, thehousing 110 can be shaped in any desired ergonomic fashion to achieve acomfortable gripping surface for a user.

The elongated member 120 comprises both tooth cleaning elements 125extending therefrom and the oral care material 140 stored therein foruse in an oral care regimen. By forming the oral care system 100 toinclude both the tooth cleaning elements 125 and the oral care material140, the oral care system 100 functions as a stand-alone device for oralcare that can achieve both tooth and oral surface cleaning as well asother benefits achieved through use of the oral care material 140 aswill be discussed in more detail below. In certain embodiments, the oralcare system 100 may merely be considered a toothbrush wherein thehousing 110 forms the handle of the toothbrush and the elongated member120 comprises a toothbrush head having tooth cleaning elements extendingtherefrom and a dispenser containing an oral care material.

Referring briefly to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, 4A and 4B concurrently, thehousing 110 comprises a first side surface 111 and a second side surface112 opposite the first side surface 111. A through-slot 115 extendsthrough the housing 110 from the first side surface 111 to the secondside surface 112. Thus, each of the first and second side surfaces 111,112 comprises an opening that provides access to the through-slot 115.The through-slot 115 provides a passageway for the first and secondportions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 to pass through thehousing 110 when the elongated member 120 is rotated about therotational axis A-A. Thus, the through-slot 115 enables the elongatedmember 120 to alternate between having the first portion 121 protrudingfrom the housing 110 and having the second portion 122 protruding fromthe housing 110 and enables a full 360 rotation of the elongated member120 about the rotational axis A-A.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the oral care system 100 comprises a pin 117upon which the elongated member 120 rotates. The pin 117 is an elongatedcylindrical shaped pin that extends along the rotational axis A-A. Thepin 117 extends through a through-hole 118 formed into the elongatedmember 120. The distance from the pin 117 and the rotational axis A-A tothe terminal end 128 of the first portion 121 of the elongated member120 is substantially equal to the distance from the pin 117 and therotational axis A-A to the terminal end 131 of the second portion 122 ofthe elongated member 120. Furthermore, although the terminal end 131 ofthe second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 is illustrated asbeing the end of the applicator 134, in certain embodiments the terminalend 131 of the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 can be theend of the cap 139. This ensures that both the first and second portions121, 122 of the elongated member 120 fit within the through-slot 115 ofthe housing 110.

The second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 has an outer surface129. Furthermore, the housing 110 has an inner surface 113 that definesthe through-slot 115. In the exemplified embodiment, when the secondportion 122 of the elongated member 120 is nested within thethrough-slot 115 as illustrated in FIG. 2, the outer surface 129 of thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120 is in surface contactwith the inner surface 113 of the housing 110. Thus, the width of thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120 at the outer surface 129is substantially equal to the width of the inner surface 113 of thehousing 110 that defines the through-slot 115. Such a structuralarrangement and relative sizing of the components ensures that when thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120 is located within thethrough-slot 115, it will not rotate out of the through-slot 115 withouta user applying a force to rotate the elongated member 120.

Similarly, in the exemplified embodiment the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120 has an outer surface 139 at the head portion 127that is substantially equal in width to the outer surface 129 of thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120. Thus, when either of thefirst or second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 arelocated within the through-slot 115 of the housing 110, the elongatedmember 120 is prevented from rotation without some user assistance.Specifically, when the first or second portions 121, 122 of theelongated member 120 are located within the through-slot 115, the outersurfaces 139, 129 of the first and second portions 121, 122 of theelongated member 120 rub against the inner surface 113 of the housing110 to form an interference fit therebetween in order to maintain theelongated member 120 in a particular state of rotation (i.e., in thefirst state with the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120protruding from the housing 110, or in the second state with the secondportion 122 of the elongated member 120 protruding from the housing). Ofcourse, it should be appreciated that the fit between the outer surfaces139, 129 of the first and second portions 121, 122 of the elongatedmember 120 and the inner surface 113 of the housing 110 is not so tightas to prevent rotation, but merely to prevent undesired and continuousrotation of the elongated member 120 without the user applying a forceon the elongated member 120 or otherwise purposely rotating theelongated member 120.

Nonetheless, in certain other embodiments the widths at the outersurfaces 139, 129 of the first and second portions 121, 122 of theelongated member 120 may be smaller than the width of the inner surface113 of the housing 110 that defines the through-slot 115 to ensure thatthe rotation of the elongated member 120 is not retarded or prevented.However, in certain embodiments the oral care system 100 includes alocking element 180 that is biased into a locking position when one ofthe first or second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 islocated within the through-slot to prevent rotation of the elongatedmember 120 without a user disengaging the locking element 180, as willbe discussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Ofcourse, other locking systems can be used to prevent rotation of theelongated member 120 when such rotation is undesirable, examples ofwhich will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4Aand 4B.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, the through-slot 115 further comprises anopen top end 116 which further enables the first and/or second portions121, 122 of the elongated member 120 to protrude from the housing 110and further facilitates rotational movement of the elongated member 120relative to the housing 110. Thus, the elongated member 120 is rotatableabout the rotational axis A-A between a first state, as illustrated inFIG. 1A, in which the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120protrudes from a distal end of the housing 110 via the open top end 116of the housing 110 while the second portion 122 of the elongated member120 is nested within the through-slot 115, and a second state, asillustrated in FIG. 1B, in which the second portion 122 of the elongatedmember 120 protrudes from a distal end of the housing 110 via the opentop end 116 of the housing 110 while the first portion 121 of theelongated, member 120 is nested within the through-slot 115. In thismanner, when the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120 protrudesfrom the housing 110, the tooth cleaning elements 125 can be used tobrush and/or otherwise clean a user's teeth and oral surfaces while thehousing 110 protects the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120and keeps the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 out of theuser's way so as not to interfere with the tooth brushing. Similarly,when the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 protrudes fromthe housing 110, the oral care material 140 can be dispensed into auser's oral cavity to provide various benefits to the user while thehousing 110 protects the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120and the tooth cleaning elements 125 against damage and keeps the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 out of the user's way so as notto interfere with the oral care material 140 dispensing.

In certain embodiments, it is desirable to store the oral care system100 in the second state illustrated in FIG. 1B during periods ofnon-use. This is because the second portion 122 of the elongated member120 comprises the cap 139 for protecting the applicator 134 andpreventing leakage of the oral care material 140 stored therein.However, the tooth cleaning elements 125 are not protected againstdamage when the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120 protrudesfrom the housing 110. Thus, by storing the oral care system 100 with thefirst portion 121 of the elongated member 120 nested within thethrough-slot 115 of the housing 110, the tooth cleaning elements 125 canbe protected and the life-cycle of the oral care system 100 can beextended. Of course, the oral care system 100 can be stored with eitherof the first or second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120protruding from the housing 110 as desired.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the first portion 121 of theelongated member 120 comprises a first recess 146. Similarly, the secondportion 122 of the elongated member 120 comprises a second recess 147.In the exemplified embodiment, each of the first and second recesses146, 147 are illustrated as being square-shaped recesses. However, theinvention is not to be so limited and the shape and relative size of therecesses 146, 147 is not to be limiting, of the invention in allembodiments. Each of the first and second recesses 146, 147 is a divotor indentation formed into the first and second portions 121, 122 of theelongated member, respectively. As will be discussed in more detailbelow, in one exemplified embodiment a portion of the locking element180 fits into the first and second recesses 146, 147 to prevent rotationof the elongated member 120.

The first recess 146 is located a first distance D₁ from the rotationalaxis A-A. The second recess 147 is located a second distance D₂ from therotational axis A-A. Furthermore, the second distance D₂ is the same orsubstantially equal to the first distance D₁. The first and secondrecesses 146, 147 provide a region on the first and second portions 121,122 of the elongated member 120 for the locking element 180 to engagethe first and second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 toprevent rotation of the elongated member 120 when such rotation isundesirable, such as during use and storage of the oral care system 100.By maintaining the first distance D₁ as the same as the second distanceD₂, the locking mechanism 180 is able to engage both of the recesses146, 147 independently depending upon which of the first or secondportions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 is located within thethrough-slot 115 of the housing 110.

The first portion 121 has a first length L₁ measured from the rotationalaxis A-A to the distal end 128 while the second portion 122 has a secondlength L₂ measured from the rotational axis A-A to the distal end 151(FIG. 1A). In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second lengthsL₁, L₂ are substantially equal to one another. In another embodiment,the first and second lengths L₁, L₂ may not be equal. In one suchembodiment, the first length L₁ is greater than the second length L₂. Inanother such embodiment, the second length is greater than the firstlength L₁.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 concurrently, the locking element 180will be described in more detail. The locking element 180 is used formaintaining the elongated member 120 in the first state or the secondstate described above. Specifically, the lacking element 180 preventsrotation of the elongated member 120 by engaging the recesses 146, 147of the first and second portions 121 122 of the elongated member 120.The locking element 180 generally comprises a latch portion 181 and abiasing element 182. Furthermore, an actuator 183 is operably coupled tothe locking element 180 to alter the locking element 180 between alocked state and an unlocked state. In the embodiment exemplified inFIGS. 2 and 3, the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 isnested within the through-slot 115 of the housing 110 and the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 protrudes from the housing 110.In this position, the locking element 180 engages the recess 147 of thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120. More specifically, thelatch portion 181 of the locking element 180 protrudes into the recess147 of the second portion 122 of the elongated, member 120 to preventthe elongated member 120 from rotating about the rotational axis A-A.

The locking element 180 is biased into the locked state, illustrated inFIG. 3, in which the locking element 180, and specifically the latchportion 181 of the locking element 180 engages the elongated member 120to prevent relative rotation between the elongated member 120 and thehousing 110. More specifically, the latch portion 181 of the lockingelement 180 protrudes into the recess 146, 147 of either the first orsecond portion 121, 122 of the elongated member 120, depending uponwhich one of the first or second portions 121, 122 of the elongatedmember 120 are located within the through-slot 115. Thus, if the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 is located within thethrough-slot 115, the latch portion 181 of the locking element 180 nestswithin the first recess 146 of the first portion 121 of the elongated,member 120 to prevent rotation of the elongated member 120. If thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120 is located within thethrough-slot 115 (as illustrated in FIGS, 2 and 3), the latch portion181 of the locking, element 180 nests within the second recess 147 ofthe second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 to prevent rotationof the elongated member 120.

The locking element 180 is biased into the locked state via the biasingelement 182. In the exemplified embodiment, the biasing element 182 is atorsion spring. However, the invention is not to be so limited in allembodiments and in certain other embodiments the biasing element 182 canbe a compression spring, a tension spring, a barrel spring, an extensionspring, a coil spring, a drawbar spring, a magazine spring, a springpin, a cotter pin, spring washers, wave springs or any other type ofelement capable of biasing the locking element 180 into the locked stateas illustrated.

The locking element 180 is alterable between the locked state discussedabove and an unlocked state in which the locking element 180 disengagesthe elongated member 120 to allow relative rotation between theelongated member 120 and the housing 110. Specifically, by actuating theactuator 183, the latch portion 181 of the locking element 180 isremoved from the first or second recess 146, 147 of the first or secondportion 121, 122 of the elongated member 120, respectively. When thelatch portion 181 of the locking element 180 is removed from the firstor second recess 146, 147, the locking member 180 is in the unlockedstate. The actuator 183 must be actuated with enough force to overcomethe bias of the biasing element 182 in order to pull the latch portion181 of the locking element 180 out of the first or second recess 146,147. Upon removing the latch portion 181 of the locking element 180 outof the first or second recess 146, 147, the locking element 180 is inthe unlocked state and relative rotation between the elongated member120 and the housing 110 is enabled.

When the elongated member 120 is in the first state such that the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 protrudes from the housing 110and the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 nests within thethrough-slot 115 (FIG. 1A), the locking element 180 is in the lockedstate by having the latch portion 181 of the locking element 180protrude into the second recess 147. Similarly, when the elongatedmember 120 is in the second state such that the second portion 122 ofthe elongated member 120 protrudes from the housing 110 and the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 nests within the through-slot115 (FIG. 1B), the locking element 180 is in the locked state by havingthe latch portion 181 of the locking element 180 protrude into the firstrecess 146. In certain other embodiments, the recesses 146, 147 may beomitted and the lock state can be achieved by the locking element 180engaging the outer surface of the elongated member 120 with enough forceto prevent rotation thereof relative to the housing 110.

Of course, in certain other embodiments the locking element 180 can bealtogether omitted. In such embodiments, the interference fit or contactbetween the inner surface 113 of the housing 110 and the outer surfaces139, 129 of the first and second portions 121, 122 of the elongatedmember 120, as discussed above, can be used to maintain the elongatedmember 120 in the first and/or second states and prevent rotation of theelongated member 120 relative to the housing 110. Furthermore, in otherembodiments relative rotation between the elongated member 120 and thehousing 110 can be prevented by other mechanisms, including for examplewithout limitation a set screw, a slide lock, a magnetic lock, atwist-lock, a button-type lock, an electronic lock, a pin lock, or thelike. In such embodiments, the component that engages the elongatedmember 120 will be considered the locking element. However, in stillother embodiments the transverse cross-sectional profiles of the firstand second portions 121, 122 of the elongated member 120 can be formedto maintain the elongated member 120 in the first and/or second states,thereby serving, as a locking mechanism, as discussed below.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B concurrently, an alternative mechanismfor maintaining the elongated member 120 in the first and/or secondstates will be described. The embodiment exemplified in FIGS. 4A and 4Bcan be utilized both with and without the locking element 180 discussedabove. Thus, in certain embodiments both the mechanism discussed belowand the locking element 180 can be used in combination, to maintainpositioning of the elongated member 120 relative to the housing 110 andto prevent undesirable rotation of the elongated member 120. However, inother embodiments either only the locking element 180 discussed above oronly the alternative mechanism discussed below can be used. In stillother embodiments, neither the locking, element 180 nor the alternativemechanism discussed below are utilized and rotation of the elongatedmember 120 can be prevented simply by a user gripping the housing 110and preventing the elongated, member 120 from sliding out of thethrough-slot, or any other techniques discussed herein.

Referring first to FIG. 4A, the second portion 122 of the elongatedmember 120 is illustrated nested within the through-slot 115 of thehousing 110. Thus, in FIG. 4A the elongated member 120 is in the firststate (i.e., the first portion 121 of the elongated member 120 isprotruding from the housing 110 and the second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 is nested within the through-slot 115 of thehousing 110). The second portion 122 of the elongated member 120comprises a transverse cross-sectional profile configured to matinglyengage the inner surface 113 of the housing 110 to maintain theelongated member 120 in the first state.

Specifically, the inner surface 113 of the housing 110 comprises a firstpair of spaced apart protuberances 105 on a first side 101 of the innersurface 113 of the housing 110. The inner surface 113 of the housing 110also comprises a second pair of spaced apart protuberances 106 on asecond side 102 of the inner surface 113 of the housing 110, the secondside 102 being opposite the first side 101. Each of the protuberances105 on the first side 101 of the inner surface 113 of the housing 110 isaligned with one of the protuberances 106 on the second side 102 of theinner surface 113 of the housing 110. Furthermore, a first socket 103 isformed between the pair of protuberances 105 on the first side 101 ofthe inner surface 113 of the housing 110 and a second socket 104 isformed between the pair of protuberances 106 on the second side 102 ofthe inner surface 113 of the housing 110.

As noted above, the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120comprises a transverse cross-sectional profile configured to matinglyengage the inner surface 113 of the housing 110. More specifically, thesecond portion 122 of the elongated member 120 comprises a firstprotuberance 107 and a second protuberance 108. When the second portion122 of the elongated member 120 rotates into the through-slot 115 of thehousing 110, the first protuberance 107 nests within the first socket103 and the second protuberance 108 nests within the second socket 104.In this manner, the elongated member 120 is prevented from furtherrotation about the rotational axis A-A without a force being applied onthe elongated member 120. Thus, forming the second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 with the transverse cross-sectional profiledescribed above, and forming the inner surface 113 of the housing 110with the transverse cross-sectional profile described above, creates abuilt-in locking mechanism that assists with maintaining the elongatedmember 120 in the first state. Of course, through user applied or otherpressure, the elongated member 120 can be rotated by applying force onthe elongated member 120 sufficient to disengage the protuberances 107,108 of the second portion of the elongated member 120 from the sockets103, 104 in the inner surface 113 of the housing 110.

Referring now to FIG, 4B, the first portion 121 of the elongated member120 is illustrated nested within the through-slot 115 of the housing110. Thus, in FIG. 4B the elongated member 120 is in the second state(i.e., the second portion 122 of the elongated member 120 is protrudingfrom the housing 110 and the first portion 121 of the elongated member120 is nested within the through-slot 115 of the housing 110). The firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 comprises a transversecross-sectional profile configured to matingly engage the inner surface113 of the housing 110 to maintain the elongated member 120 in the firststate.

Specifically, as discussed above, the inner surface 113 of the housing110 comprises the first pair of spaced apart protuberances 105 on thefirst side 101 of the inner surface 113 of the housing 110. The innersurface 113 of the housing 110 also comprises the second pair of spacedapart protuberances 106 on the second side 102 of the inner surface 113of the housing 110, the second side 102 being opposite the first side101. As noted above, the first socket 103 is formed between the pair ofprotuberances 105 on the first side 101 of the inner surface 113 of thehousing 110 and the second socket 104 is formed between the pair ofprotuberances 106 on the second side 102 of the inner surface 113 of thehousing 110.

As noted above, the first portion 122 of the elongated member 120comprises a transverse cross-sectional profile configured to matinglyengage the inner surface 113 of the housing 110. More specifically, thefirst portion 122 of the elongated member 120 (i.e., the head 127 of thetoothbrush device) comprises a first contoured side surface 175 and asecond contoured side surface 176. When the first portion 122 of theelongated member 120 rotates into the through-slot 115 of the housing110, the first contoured side surface 175 nests within the first socket103 and the second contoured side surface 176 nests within the secondsocket 104. In this manner, the elongated member 120 is prevented fromfurther rotation about the rotational axis A-A without a force beingapplied on the elongated member 120. Thus, forming the first portion 122of the elongated member 120 with the transverse cross-sectional profiledescribed above, and forming the inner surface 113 of the housing 110with the transverse cross-sectional profile described above creates abuilt-in locking mechanism that assists with maintaining the elongatedmember 120 in the second state.

To ensure that each of the first and second portions 121, 122 of theelongated member 120 will engage the sockets 103, 104 formed into theinner surface 113 of the housing 110. the protuberances 107, 108 on thefirst portion 121 of the elongated member 120 are located the samedistance from the axis of rotation A-A as the first and second contouredside surfaces 175, 176 of the second portion 122 of the elongated member120. Stated another way, the transverse cross-sectional profile of thefirst portion 121 of the elongated member 120 that enables the firstportion 121 of the elongated member 120 to engage the sockets 103, 104and the transverse cross-sectional profile of the second portion 12 ofthe elongated member 122 that enables the second portion 122 of theelongated member 120 to engage the sockets 103, 404 are located the samedistance from the axis of rotation A-A.

As described herein, the oral care system 100 generally comprises aplurality of tooth cleaning elements and a store of oral care material.While the invention is described herein with respect to the use of toothcleaning elements as one of the two primary components of the oral caresystem 100, it is to be understood that other alternative oral cleaningmechanisms (as alternatives to tooth cleaning elements) can be usedwithin the scope of the invention, including powered or movable toothcleaning elements, a tongue scraper, a gum and soft tissue cleanser, awater pick, an interdental, device, a tooth polisher, tooth engagingelements specially designed to increase the effect of the oral carematerial on the teeth or any other type of component that is commonlyused for oral care. Thus, it is to be understood that the inventiveconcepts discussed herein can be applied to any type of oral cleaningmechanism unless a specific type of oral cleaning mechanism is specifiedin the claims.

It is to be understood that the inventive system can be utilized fur avariety of intended oral care needs by filling the elongated member 120with any oral care material, such as an oral care fluid that achieves adesired oral effect. In one embodiment, the oral care material ispreferably free of (i.e., is not) toothpaste as the oral care materialis intended to augment not supplant the brushing regimen. However, theinvention is not to be so limited and in other embodiments the oral carematerial may be or may include toothpaste. The oral care materialsand/or its medium can be selected, to complement a toothpaste formula,such as by coordinating flavors, colors, aesthetics, or activeingredients.

The oral care materials contained within the elongated member 120 may bea measured amount of a semi-viscous, yet flowable, aestheticallypleasing, pleasant tasting oral care composition that is dosed ormetered through the dispensing orifice and delivered directly into auser's oral cavity or onto the tooth cleaning elements. The oral carematerial can either be a flowable liquid and/or a solid that is easilydispensed for consumer use. The flowable liquids may include, withoutlimitation, pastes, gels, rinses, foams, scrubbers, solids, liquids andor aerosols under compressed air.

The oral care materials can be used for a variety of oral care needsincluding but not limited to whitening, sensitivity, gum health,stain-removal, enamel strengthening, mouthrinse, breath spray, sanitizersolution for a toothbrush, a whole mouth care solutions. The oral carematerial may also include active ingredients typical of use in wholemouth oral care formulations. The oral care material may also containsweeteners, particulates, and sensates capable of delivering uniquebenefits to the consumer.

The oral care material can be used as a stand-alone formulation. In someembodiments, the composition has the capability and potential ofcontaining and delivering active ingredients, such as Fluoride Arginine,Triclosan, or the like, while further providing potential cleaning,stain-removal, whitening of the teeth surface with the incorporation ofchemical agents such as hydrogen peroxide, or polishing abrasives suchas, for example, silica dicalcium phosphate, precipitated calciumcarbonate or the like. The composition also has the capability ofdelivering consumer perceivable visual signals via unique colorants,shapes, stripes, sparkles, extruded forms etc, while further deliveringconsumer perceivable sensory signals delivered via unique flavors,sweeteners, sensates, or the like.

The oral care materials include materials that provide oral healthbenefits to a user upon contact with a user's oral cavity. In oneembodiment, the oral care materials are fluidic materials. For example,in certain embodiments the oral care materials include a mouthwashsolution that cleans the oral surfaces when applied thereto and providesthe user with breath freshening benefits. In other embodiments, the oralcare materials include a tooth cleaning solution, such as a dentifrice.Of course, the oral care materials are not to be in any way limiting ofthe present invention and may include fluids having active or inactiveagents that deliver therapeutic, cosmetic, experiential and/or sensorialbenefits to a consumer during a tooth, soft tissue, tongue orinterdental cleaning regimen. Specifically, the oral care material canbe an anti-sensitivity agent, fluoride, a tartar protection agent, anantibacterial agent, an oxidative or whitening agent, an enamelstrengthening or repair agent, a tooth erosion preventing agent, a toothsensitivity ingredient, a gum health active, a nutritional ingredient, atartar control or anti-stain ingredient, an enzyme, a sensateingredient, a flavor or flavor ingredient, a breath fresheningingredient, an oral malodor reducing agent, an anti-attachment agent orsealant, a diagnostic solution, an occluding agent, a dry mouth reliefingredient, a catalyst to enhance the activity of any of these agents,colorants or aesthetic ingredients, arginine bicarbonate,chlorohexidine, triclosan, CPC, zinc oxide and combinations thereof. Asnoted above, in certain embodiments the oral care materials or at leastone of the oral care materials is free of a dentifrice as the oral carefluid is intended to supplement traditional brushing of the teeth ratherthan supplant it.

In one alternate embodiment (not illustrated), the second portion 122 ofthe elongated member 120 can include a first dispensing orifice and asecond dispensing orifice. In one such embodiment, the first dispensingorifice is fluidly coupled to a first store of oral care material withinthe second portion 122 while the second dispensing orifice is fluidlycoupled to a second store of oral care material within the secondportion 122. In this manner, the second portion 122 can be utilized toapply two different oral care materials, either concurrently orconsecutively. In one such embodiment, the second portion 122 caninclude two separate hollow interior cavities 142 extendingside-by-side, in which the first and second stores of oral care materialare stored. As discussed above, these hollow interior cavities 142 wouldbe fluidly coupled to the first and second dispensing orifices. In stillanother such embodiment, a single dispensing orifice can be provided,that is fluid coupled to both of the hollow interior cavities 142 so asto effectuate point-of-use mixing of the first and second oral carematerials during dispensing through the dispensing orifice forimmediately prior thereto in a mixing chamber).

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5C concurrently, an oral care system 100A isillustrated according to an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention. The oral care system 100A is identical to the oral caresystem 100 discussed above with the exception that the elongated membercomprises three portions instead of two. Thus, in order to avoidredundancy, only those aspects of the oral care system 100A that differfrom the oral care system 100 will be discussed below. It is to beunderstood that non-contradictory concepts described above for oral caresystem 100 are (or can be) incorporated into the oral care system 100A.Moreover, for purposes of simplicity, corresponding elements of oralcare system 100 and oral care system 100A will be given like referencenumerals with the addition of the suffix “A.”

The oral care system 100A comprises a housing 110A and a member 120Arotatably coupled to the housing 110A. The housing 110A, in theexemplified embodiment, is identical to the housing 100 discussed above.However, in other embodiments, the housing 110A can be widened toaccommodate the two of the three portions 121A, 122A, 223A of the member120A that are not being used.

The member 120A is rotatably coupled to the housing 110A for rotationabout a rotational axis X-X. The member 120 comprises a first portion121A located on a first side of the rotational axis X-X, a secondportion 122A located on a second side of the rotational axis X-X, and athird portion 223A located on a third side of the rotational axis X-X.In the exemplified embodiment, the first, second and third portions121A, 122A, 223A are angulary equi-spaced from one another (i.e., about120). In other embodiments, other angular spacing can be implemented.Rotation of one of the first, second or third portions 121A, 122A, 223Aresults in corresponding rotation of the other ones of the first, secondor third portions 121A, 122A, 223A.

As discussed above for first portion 121, the first portion 121A isconfigured to be a toothbrush device in that a plurality of toothcleaning elements 125A are mounted thereto. Furthermore, as discussedabove with respect to the second portion 122, the second portion 122A isconfigured to be a dispenser containing a store of an oral carematerial. Additionally, similar to that described above for the secondportion 122, the third portion 223A is also configured to be a dispensercontaining a store of an oral care material. Thus, the oral care system100A comprises a toothbrush device and two different dispensers. Ifdesired, different oral care materials can be included in each of thedispensers formed by the second and third portions 22A, 223Arespectively. The structures and functioning of the dispenser of eachthe second and third portions 122A, 223A is otherwise identical to thatof the dispenser formed by the second portion 122 discussed above and,thus, requires no further explanation.

The member 120A rotatable about the rotational axis X-X between: (1) afirst state (FIG. 5A) in which the first portion 121A protrudes from theopen top end 116A of the through slot 115A; (2) a second state (FIG. 5B)in which the second portion 122A protrudes from the open top end 116A ofthe through lot 115A; and (3) a third state (FIG. 5C) in which the thirdportion 223A protrudes from the open top end 116A of the through slot115A.

As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each andevery value that is within the range. Any value within the range can beselected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references citedherein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties. In theevent of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and thatof a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural andfunctional modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the inventionshould be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

1. An oral care system comprising: a housing comprising a first sidesurface and a second side surface opposite the first side surface; athrough-slot extending through the housing from the first side surfaceto the second side surface and having an open top end; an elongatedmember rotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about a rotationalaxis, the elongated member comprising a first portion located on a firstside of the rotational axis and a second portion located on a secondside of the rotational axis; a plurality of tooth cleaning elementsextending from the first portion of the elongated member; a dispensingorifice in the second portion of the elongated, member through which anoral care material stored in the elongated member can be dispensed; andthe elongated member rotatable about the rotational axis between: (1) afirst state in which the first portion of the elongated member protrudesfrom the housing while the second portion of the elongated member isnested within the through-slot; and (2) a second state in which thesecond portion of the elongated member protrudes from the housing, whilethe first portion of the elongated member is nested within thethrough-slot.
 2. The oral care system according to claim 1 wherein inthe first state the first portion of the elongated member protrudes fromthe housing via the open top end of the through-slot, and wherein in thesecond state the second portion of the elongated member protrudes fromthe housing via the open top end of the through-slot
 3. The oral caresystem according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing orifice is located ata terminal end of the second portion of the elongated member.
 4. Theoral care system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of toothcleaning elements are located adjacent a terminal end of the firstportion of the elongated member.
 5. The oral care system according toclaim 1 wherein the elongated member further comprises a cap detachablycoupled to the second portion to enclose the dispensing orifice.
 6. Theoral care system according to claim I wherein in the first state thehousing forms a handle of a toothbrush device and the first portion ofthe elongated member forms a neck and a head of the toothbrush device.7. The oral care system according to claim 1 wherein in the second statethe housing forms a handle for applying the oral care material.
 8. Theoral care system according to claim 1 further comprising a lockingelement for maintaining the elongated member in the first state or thesecond state, wherein the locking element is alterable between a lockedstate in which the locking element engages the elongated member toprevent relative rotation between the elongated member and the housingand an unlocked state in which the locking element disengages theelongated member to allow relative rotation between the elongated memberand the housing.
 9. (canceled)
 10. The oral care system according toclaim 8 further comprising wherein the locking element is biased intothe locked state.
 11. The oral care system according to claim 8 whereinthe first portion of the elongated member comprises a first recess andthe second portion of the elongated member comprises a second recess,and wherein when the elongated member is in the first state and thelocking element is in the locked state, the locking element protrudesinto the second recess, and wherein when the elongated member is in thesecond state and the locking element is in the locked state, the lockingelement protrudes into the first recess.
 12. (canceled)
 13. The oralcare system according to claim 8 further comprising an actuator, theactuator operably coupled to the locking element to alter the lockingelement between the locked state and the unlocked state.
 14. The oralcare system according to claim 1 wherein the first portion of theelongated member comprises a transverse cross-sectional profileconfigured to matingly engage an inner surface of the housing tomaintain the elongated member in the second state, and wherein thesecond portion of the elongated member comprises a transversecross-sectional profile configured to matingly engage the inner surfaceof the housing to maintain the elongated member in the first state. 15.The oral care system according to claim 14 wherein the transversecross-sectional profile of the first portion and the transversecross-sectional profile of the second portion are located the samedistance from the axis of rotation.
 16. The oral care system accordingto claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the elongated memberare integrally connected so that rotation of one of the first or secondportions about the rotational axis results in corresponding rotation ofthe other one of the first or second portions about the rotational axis.17. The oral care system according to claim 1 wherein the first portionhas a first length and the second portion has a second length. andwherein the first and second lengths are substantially equal.
 18. Atoothbrush comprising: a handle; a through-slot extending through thehandle; an elongated member rotatably coupled to the housing forrotation about a rotational axis, the elongated member comprising: atoothbrush head located on a first side of the rotational axis; and adispenser comprising a store of oral care material located on a secondside of the rotational axis; a plurality of tooth cleaning elementsextending from the toothbrush head; the elongated member rotatable aboutthe rotational axis between: (1) a first state in which the toothbrushhead protrudes from the handle while the dispenser is nested within thethrough-slot; and (2) a second state in which the dispenser protrudesfrom the housing while the toothbrush head is nested within thethrough-slot.
 19. The toothbrush according to claim 18 wherein thethrough slot comprises an open top end, wherein in the first state thetoothbrush head of the elongated member protrudes from the handle viathe open top end of the through-slot, and wherein in the second statethe dispenser of the elongated member protrudes from the handle via theopen top end of the through-slot.
 20. The toothbrush according to claim18 wherein the toothbrush head and the dispenser are integrallyconnected so that rotation of one of the toothbrush head or thedispenser about the rotational axis results in corresponding rotation ofthe other one of the toothbrush head or the dispenser about therotational axis.
 21. An oral care system comprising: a housing; a memberrotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about a rotational axis; aplurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the member, adispensing orifice in the member through which an oral care materialstored in the member can be dispensed; and the member rotatable aboutthe rotational axis.
 22. The oral care system according to claim 21further comprising; a through-slot extending through the housing; andthe plurality of tooth cleaning elements located on a first side of therotational axis while the dispensing orifice is located on a second sideof the rotational axis opposite the first side: and the member rotatableabout the rotational axis between: (1) a first state in which theplurality of tooth cleaning elements are located outside of thethrough-slot; and (2) a second state in which the dispensing orifice islocated outside of the through-slot.
 23. (canceled)